Positive Tests
by AprilMayJune624
Summary: Gabriella has something to tell Troy. The tests she had taken have come back positive. But Troy has been so busy and neglectful lately, she doesn't know how or if she can tell him. And if he ever does find out, will the tests change their lives?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM_

_Positive Tests_

Troy sat looking down at the note in his hand. No more than one hour ago, she had been sitting in their apartment. No more than one hour ago, he had left her and gone to his team dinner. No more than one hour ago, she had packed her stuff and left.

* * *

_One hour before_

_Gabriella sat on the couch waiting for Troy to come home. She had something to tell him, but she didn't know how he would take it. The tests had come out positive. She had known for a week, but he had been too busy to hear her out. Tonight was his first night off, and she was going to tell him._

_To be truthful, she was scared. Oh, she couldn't tell you how scared she was. She was scared of how he would react to the news. But most of all, she was scared for them. For their future together. These tests would change their lives._

_One year ago today, was their wedding anniversary. They had been advised to wait until after college, but Troy had decided that he couldn't wait for two more years. He had asked her to marry him and within five months, they were husband and wife. And Gabriella's happily ever after had begun._

_She looked at the clock and noticed that he was two hours late. Well, that wasn't such a big surprise to her. He had been coming home late for the past few months. It was always something along the lines of, "Practice ran really late" or "The guys wanted to celebrate the win." _

_With the way she was feeling right now, he might as well have said to her, "I'm too busy for you" or "My team is more important than our marriage." _

_When he had announced that his coach was going to help him prep for the NBA scouts that were coming at the end of the season, she had been happy for him. Ecstatic. Sure he had told her that his schedule would be hectic, but at the time, it really didn't matter._

_Not even a week after he had told her, she was already seeing just how busy his schedule really was. If it wasn't practice, it was a game. If it wasn't an away game, it was a team dinner._

_In a matter of days, Troy's top priority had changed from the love of his life to the love of the game. He had replaced her with conferences, practices, and a stupid rubber ball._

_They fought more and more. Since his announcement, he's had to miss his mother's birthday, one of his best friend's wedding, Thanksgiving, and if he didn't come home soon, their anniversary._

_She wasn't in a flirty dress or dressed up at all. She was in grey sweats and a blue tank top. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail. She didn't want to dress up, because she knew that it would be like this. A waste of time. He'd forgotten everything before, why should he remember her now? Oh, that's right, because she's his wife. But apparently, that just wasn't good enough anymore. So much for her happily ever after._

_She broke out of her trance when she heard the front door open, and his bag hit the floor. She could see him from where she was sitting, but she knew that he didn't know she was there._

_He hung his letterman jacket and took off his shoes. He turned around and walked towards their bedroom. He still hadn't seen her._

"_Practice ran late again?" She asked. He turned to the voice and for the first time noticed that she was sitting there._

_She looked as best as she could through the dark, but from the way he was dressed, she could see that either he had been working out at the gym, or he had been practicing with his team. He was dressed in dark blue or black shorts and a white tank top. _

"_Yeah." He said shortly. "What are you doing in the dark?"_

_She ignored his question and continued. "So did you think I was asleep or were you too tired to stay up and talk to me?"_

"_I have to get ready. The team's having another dinner." He explained to her._

_She turned on the lamp next to her and stood up. "Another one, Troy? How many stupid team dinners do you have to go to?"_

_In the light, she noticed just how amazing he looked. His body was still glistened with sweat. His hair was shorter, she noticed, than when she had seen him for five minutes last night. It was still long; it went past his ears, but it wasn't as long as the last time she had seen it. The barber got to see him more than she did. His dark blue eyes were really noticeable. If she wasn't so angry at him, she would've thought that he was so incredibly hot. But her rage clouded everything else._

"_Stupid team dinners?! These dinners are going to help me get into the NBA, and will therefore provide for our family." He retorted._

"_It can't be a family if you're not there to share it." She argued back._

"_We're still going to be a family whether I'm here or not. I don't understand why you're being so difficult. Everyone else understands except for you! Why can't you be supportive of me?!"_

"_Everyone else understands?! You're mental if you think that your dad understands why you missed your mom's birthday and made her cry?! Do you think that Ryan and Kelsi understand why you missed their wedding?! Do you think that I—"_

_He cut her off. "I have to get ready." He told her._

_She threw a pillow at his head. "You don't deserve the second chances that everyone gives you! I've watched you morph into this person, this…thing that I don't know anymore!"_

_He turned around when she hit him. "Well, let me tell you, I'm feeling the best I've ever felt in a long time. I'm on top of the world here! In a matter of months, my name will be everywhere!"_

"_Do you here yourself?! You're sounding like a spoilt, egotistical brat! If your dad heard you say that, you wouldn't be here right now!"_

"_Well, if your dad were here, I don't think he'd be too approving of you either." He said coolly._

_She stopped at his words. Never in their arguments had he ever brought her deceased father into their arguments. Her eyes widened and filled with tears. He suddenly realized what he said._

"_Gabriella, I—"_

_She walked silently past him and went into their bedroom, closed the door, and locked it. Troy stood rooted on the spot for a moment. He rubbed his eyes and silently cursed himself for saying what he said. He had never done anything like that._

_He walked towards the bedroom and was about to knock but then he heard her sobbing. He grabbed his keys and went out to the car. He'd just have to go to the dinner as was. When she settled down, they would talk, but not when his team was counting on him to make an appearance._

* * *

_Through her sobs, Gabriella heard him leave. He'd never done such a thing when they argued. They usually just kept it to them. But Gabriella had had enough that night. He had taken it too far when he had decided to miss their anniversary._

_Gabriella got up from the bed and went to the closet to grab a suitcase. She realized that she had never gotten to tell him about the tests. Something in her realized that they would've been arguing too much for her to tell him. She never would've gotten to it._

_She stuffed all she could into the suitcase and quickly got out a pen and paper. She wrote out the best explanation she could give and hope that he would come to his senses and come for her, eventually._

_She left the note on the bed where she hoped he would notice her absence and left._

* * *

_Troy got to the restaurant and located his team. He pulled out his chair angrily and took a seat. He ordered his drink from the waiter and grabbed some of the bread._

"_Jeez, Bolton. Ever heard of the word shower?" One of his teammates asked him._

"_Shut up, Mitch. My wife locked me out of our room so that I couldn't take a shower." He argued._

"_And how is the Mrs.?" Another one of his teammates asked._

"_Don't ask." Troy answered._

"_Why even bother asking anyways? We all know that Bolton here doesn't have a life. From the way coach has been pushing you, I'm surprised that you aren't still on the courts right now." He told him._

"_Yeah. Can't argue with that." Troy said. He looked around at his teammates and smiled._

_The smile was a fake. It was a masquerade to hide his pain and confusion he had felt mere minutes before when he had heard Gabriella's sobs knowing that he had been the one to initiate them._

_He decided right then and there that when he got home, Gabriella and he were going to work this whole mess out. He had apparently neglected her more than he thought he had, and now it was up to him to make it right with her._

_This argument had really opened up his eyes to see that his marriage was going through a rough patch. A really rough patch. He needed to make it right with her. He needed to tell her that he loved her and that he was sorry._

_Now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember the last time he had said "I love you" to his wife. He couldn't remember the last time he kissed her or hugged her._

_Most of the time, he would get home late into the night so that she was usually asleep. He would climb into bed beside her and fall asleep too tired to do anything but lay there. And when she wasn't asleep, they were arguing._

_If he couldn't remember the last time he kissed her or said "I love you" or did anything for her that a husband should do, he was really in some deep trouble. As soon as he got home, he would march straight into the bedroom and apologize to her. He didn't care if she was asleep, he was going to apologize._

"_So are you guys ready for the game next week?" Troy asked his team._

"_Yeah's" and "Duh's" could be heard throughout the table, but one answer to his question stopped everyone._

"_Mitch, why aren't you ready?" Troy asked him a little skeptical._

"_Can't go to the game, guys. Sorry. That day's my wife and my anniversary. Can't miss that." He explained to them._

"_But coach was just about to start you." Troy argued._

"_So? I can start later. I only get one anniversary a year. Only one wife to share it with." He told them._

_Some of the guys snickered at his opinion of women. Some called him whipped. But Troy saw the way Mitch smiled when he was talking about his wife. He was proud that he was missing the game for his…anniversary._

"_Crap. Holy crap! Oh my gosh!!!!!!!" Troy stood up._

"_Dude, what's wrong?" Mitch asked._

"_Guys, I can't be here right now. Today's my anniversary, and Gabriella—oh crap."_

"_Ooooo, you're in trouble."_

_Troy ran out of the restaurant and got to his car. He had even more apologizing to do than he thought. How could he have been so stupid? He was a jerk, an unbelievable jerk, who didn't deserve his wife. He was surprised that she hadn't left him yet with the way he had been acting._

_When he opened the door to their apartment, something didn't feel right._

"_Gabriella?" He called out._

_He heard no answer. He walked over to the bedroom hoping, praying that she would be asleep on their bed. That his instinct was wrong and that she was right there._

_He opened the door and almost fell to the floor. Where she should have been she wasn't. Instead a note was on her pillow._

_He slowly walked over to the bed and sat down while he picked up the note._

_Troy,_

_I'm sorry that I wasn't there when you got home. I just had to leave. I couldn't stay any longer. I had to go somewhere where someone could take care of me. I'm so sorry. I hope that maybe someday you'll become, once more, the man that I fell in love with in high school. Don't worry about where I'm going. Just know that I'm going home. I love you so much. Never doubt that._

_All my love,_

_Gabriella_

* * *

Present time

Troy read the note carefully. It couldn't be. She was in their apartment somewhere. In two seconds, she would jump out and say "Gotcha! Happy anniversary!"

But she never did. The room stayed as quiet as when he came in. Now look how important his career was. Now how important was his team dinner? It was worth nothing. If he could go back in time, he'd knock some sense into himself.

But he couldn't let this happen. He had to get her back and apologize for everything he had put her through.

He turned his attention back to the note. She had never said where she was going. The only thing that he had a clue to was either his parents or Taylor. She was either going to Connecticut or Albuquerque. But she had said 'home'. There was only one place they both considered home and that would be Albuquerque.

With more resolve than he had had in a long time, Troy got off the bed and ran to his truck. He pushed his truck as far as it could go without breaking down and drove to the airport.

* * *

Gabriella fiddled with her ring and waited for her flight to be called. Ever since she had left the apartment, she had spiked a fever. She wasn't feeling well at all, but she couldn't back out of her decision to leave. If she went home, he wouldn't be there anyways. He'd be at his team dinner having a great time.

She couldn't go back and wait for him either. The tests had come out positive, and she needed someone to tell her that everything was going to be okay. Since Troy wasn't there, she had to go somewhere where someone would care.

She sat there fiddling with her ring for ten minutes…twenty minutes…thirty minutes…forty minutes…fifty minutes…one hour. She took a look at her plane ticket wondering when her plane was to board.

The flight attendant answered her question. "Flight 907 to Albuquerque will be boarding in ten minutes. Ten minutes."

Gabriella sighed and started to get her carry-on items ready. She sat back down on her seat and waited for the final boarding call. She tried to keep her tears in as she thought about how Troy would feel when he found their apartment empty in about one hour.

"Happy anniversary." She heard a voice say behind her.

* * *

Troy finally reached the airport and parked his truck outside.

Airport security yelled out. "Sir, if you park there, it will be towed."

Troy didn't turn around to reply. His truck didn't matter. All that mattered to him was getting Gabriella back.

He looked at the list of flights and easily found the one heading for Albuquerque in less than five minutes. He had to hurry. There wasn't much time.

He ran for it. He didn't care that people were staring or that security was yelling for him to stop running. She was within 50 feet of him, and he needed to find her. He finally found the boarding for flight 907 just as they were calling for people to start going onto the plane.

She was easy to spot among all the other passengers. She was still in the same clothes she was in before he had left. She was completely oblivious to his presence; she was sitting in one of the chairs.

He approached her slowly trying to reign in his emotions as he saw her sitting there.

"Happy anniversary." He simply said.

Her breath caught in her throat as she heard his voice. It couldn't be. Her head was playing tricks on her. Nonetheless, she looked behind her and met his blue eyes that she had so fallen in love with. They weren't the dark blue that they had been for long while they were arguing. They were back to their light blue that made her melt every time.

"Troy." She breathed.

He walked the remaining steps necessary to reach her and knelt down so that he was eye level with her.

She kept her voice a whisper. "What are you doing here?"

"It took me about one hour after we fought to realize that I was being a spoilt, egotistical brat. And that today was our anniversary. I went home first and found your note, and here I am. Look, I need to apologize."

"Troy…"

"No, please, let me get this out." He made sure that he had her full attention before he proceeded. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for missing mom's birthday; I'm sorry for missing Ryan and Kels's wedding; and I'm sorry for what I've put you through.

"I've had my life in the fast lane for so long that I lost myself along the way. I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I was just so blinded by everything that has happened that I didn't realize what I was doing to you.

"I don't deserve you at all. I wouldn't blame you if you got on that plane right now and walked out."

She corrected him. "I wasn't the one walking out. You walked out when you went to that dinner."

Troy nodded his head. "Yeah, I see that now." He brought up his hand and stroked her cheeks. Tears were running down her face, and he used his thumb to stroke them away.

"Gabriella, I don't expect you to forgive me right now. I don't expect you to forgive me any time soon, but I needed to apologize. I need you to know that I love you more than I could ever tell. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'm sorry that I lost sight of that for a little while."

"I forgive you, Troy." She told him through her tears.

"I know, I don't deserve a second—what?" He asked a little shocked.

"I said that I forgive you." She repeated once more.

"But how can you? After what I put you and everyone through, how can you forgive me?"

"Troy, you know me. I'm not one to hold a grudge."

"So all this time, you've never been angry at me for the way I've been acting."

"I was mad that I was losing you. I was sad that you were going through this phase for the second time in your life."

"That still doesn't answer my question as to why you're so willing to forgive me."

She sighed. "Troy, life is too short to hold grudges. Life is also too short to not tell that special someone that you love them. I've been willing to forgive you as long as you were willing to apologize. So, I accept your apology, Troy. And I love you."

Troy was immobile for the moment. She had just forgiven him when he hadn't deserved her forgiveness. And she had just told him she loved him when he hadn't deserved her love.

"I love you, too." He crushed her to him and held her. "I love you so much."

She let go of the remaining tears that she had been holding in. It didn't matter now. Everything was fine. He was there. They were both going to be a lot better now.

"Troy, I have something to tell you." She whispered to him. She still needed to tell him about the tests.

"Let's wait till we get home all right, Sweetheart? Let's go back home."

She nodded and cooperated with him. He grabbed her bags and helped her up. Gabriella had forgotten about her fever during their make up session, but when she stood up, she felt it coming on again.

He started to walk but stopped when he noticed that she wasn't walking.

"Gabriella?"

Gabriella swayed on the spot a little. Everything moved in slow motion for Troy. He dropped the bags and caught her before she fell.

"Gabriella!" He said shaking her. "Baby? Someone call 911!"

* * *

Troy waited anxiously in the waiting room. Gabriella had fainted and had been admitted into the emergency room with a high fever.

"Mr. Bolton." The doctor said.

Troy looked up and saw that it was the doctor who called him. "How is my wife?"

"She spiked a fever. We've done some things to bring her temperature down. Thankfully, her body's responding well to the process. We've managed to bring her temperature down so that it's not so critical. We suspect that because she was in an airport with so many risks to her immune system something was able to get past her immune system and cause the fever.

"I don't understand why she would go to an airport though. She knew that it was high risk."

Troy was confused. "I'm not sure that I—"

A nurse came out. "Mr. Bolton, your wife would like to see you." She said.

Troy walked away from the doctor and entered Gabriella's room. She lay on the bed. She looked at him when he came in.

"Hey." She said whispering.

"Hey." He replied. He grabbed the seat next to her and sat by her bed. "Don't you ever do that to me again. I was so scared."

"I'm sorry." She told him.

He chuckled. "Just don't do that to me again, and we're even."

"How much did they tell you?"

"You spiked a fever, and they had to bring your temperature down. The doctor said that he didn't know why you went to an airport when you knew that there were high risks. What was he talking about?"

She stayed silent.

His smile faded and was replaced with a serious look. "Gabriella, is there something that you're not telling me?"

She sighed and kept her voice at a whisper. "I never meant for you to find out like this."

Troy felt a lump in his throat as she spoke. Something was wrong. "Gabriella, sweetheart, you're scaring me. What was I not meant to find out like this?"

Gabriella looked him directly in the eyes and started her explanation. "Over the past few weeks, I've been feeling a little off. Two weeks ago, I fainted a few times during classes. They made me go to the hospital and take some tests. I only got the tests back last week. They told me to avoid going where large crowds of people were so that they could start treatment soon. I guess I sort of forgot about that when I went to the airport."

"Baby, you're still not telling me something. What were the results of the tests?"

Gabriella's eyes started to fill with tears, and she took his hand into hers. She tried to keep her voice as calm as she could. "Troy, they tested me for a lot of stuff, including cancer, and the tests came back positive. I have stage 4 leukemia."

Troy's heart stopped. This was the second time that night he expected someone to yell out. "Gotcha!" This was also the second time that no one came out yelling it. His shock took the form of tears as he looked into her face. She was crying too.

"No, you can't have cancer." He said. He was trying to convince himself that everything was fine, but they weren't. "You're perfectly healthy."

Gabriella kept crying. "No, I'm not, Troy. I'm not healthy, and we can't lie to ourselves. We have to face this together. When you walked out to go to your team dinner, I thought that I was going to have to go through this alone." She reached up with her free hand and ran it through this hair. "But you're here. You're with me right now. And that's all I could have asked for."

"Is this why you said that life's too short to not tell someone that you love them?"

Gabriella nodded.

"Well, then," He said climbing into the bed sitting himself next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders, and started to kiss her head. "I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."

He punctuated each set of those words with kisses. She sat there next to him crying.

When he was done, he rubbed her arm and took her hand into his. "We're going to get through this together. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Gabriella had been exhausted from the emotional roller coaster that she had been on so Troy had told her to go to sleep. No more than five minutes after she had fallen asleep, the doctor came into the room. Troy gently laid Gabriella back down onto the pillows and motioned for the doctor to talk with him outside of the room.

Troy closed the door behind him.

"Mr. Bolton, I was informed that you knew nothing of your wife's condition. Is that correct?"

"Yeah, but I know now. Is there anything, anything that we can do to save her?"

"Well, because she is in stage 4 of the cancer, the chances of her surviving are very slim, but they have been known to happen. From her test results, we found that large amounts of the cancerous cells have gathered in various parts around her body. That is the main problem we are seeing right now. However, we do not have the technology in this hospital to perform the surgery."

"Where can she get the surgery?"

"Well, Cedar Sinai in Los Angeles could probably perform the surgery, however, the expenses are very expensive."

"Will it cure her?"

"It will not cure her completely, but removal these cancerous greatly increase her chances of her survival. I recommend that you do it."

"All right. We'll do it." He didn't think about his answer. There was no thinking involved when it came to Gabriella's life. She was going to get the surgery done. What was a few dollars compared to the one he loved?

"Very well, I'll prepare all the paper work and call the hospital, and we can helicopter her over within the next five hours." The doctor walked away.

Troy took out his phone. "Mom, can you come up here? I need you."

* * *

Troy sat in Gabriella's room watching her sleep. It was hard to believe that only a few months ago, they had been so happy together. Now, they were here in a hospital room, and Gabriella wasn't well at all.

He heard a knock at the door before he saw it open and his parents and Gabriella's mom came in followed by a few more people that he didn't expect to see.

"Hey, Mom, Dad." He hugged her and his dad and turned his attention to everyone else. "Hey, Maria. It's good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Troy."

The rest of the Wildcats had come too. "Hey, Chad. How have you been?"

"Great. The Redhawks are doing great."

"Hey, Kelsi, Ryan, I'm so sorry that I missed your wedding. It must have been great."

"It's all right, Troy. We forgive you." Kelsi assured him.

"Hey, Shar, Zeke. How are you two doing?" He asked.

"Great. I'm staring in the U of A play this winter." Sharpay told him.

"Hey, Jase. How's everything?"

"It's good." Jason said.

"Taylor's on her flight right now she should be here in a little bit. But enough about us, Hoops. How are you doing?" Chad asked.

Troy turned to Gabriella and replied. "I've been loads better. To tell you the truth I'm scared for her. This isn't something that I can take away from her. I'm scared that I'll lose her. I can't lose her. I regret these past months. I've been arguing with her when I could've been spending every waking moment just being with her."

Everyone comforted him. "It'll be all right, Troy. Gabriella doesn't blame you for these past few months." Ryan told him. "Gabriella's strong. She'll get through this. You'll both get through this, and we'll be there every step of the way. You're not alone."

Everyone agreed that they were going to do everything they could to help out. Troy and Gabriella weren't going to go through this alone.

"Happy anniversary by the way." Jason said to him.

Troy scoffed. "Yeah. Some anniversary this turned out to be. Basketball practice runs late; Gabriella and I argue; I forget my anniversary; I find out my wife has cancer; yeah. It's been a really great anniversary."

"So what did the doctor say, Troy." Maria asked him trying to change the subject.

Troy took a deep breath before he began. "She's in stage 4 leukemia. He-he said that there's a slim chance that she'll survive. There's a bunch of groups of cancerous cells throughout her body. He said that there's this…surgery that they can perform at Cedar Sinai that can remove a lot of the cancer. It won't cure her completely, but it'll help her a lot, but it cost a lot of money. I've agreed to have the surgery done, but we can't afford it without going into debt."

"Well, I can help with that." Sharpay offered.

"Thanks, Shar, but I don't think that—"

"Don't be stupid, Troy. Gabriella's my friend. She's changed me for the better. What's a few dollars compared to losing someone you love?" She argued.

Troy was surprised that Sharpay had said the exact same thing that he had thought a couple of hours before. "Fine. I'm only going to let you help me if you'll let me pay for half of it." He told her.

She was about to argue with him, but she saw that there was no changing his mind about this.

"Then it's settled." Zeke said.

They heard Gabriella stir. "Troy." She said.

Troy made his way to the bed and grabbed her hand. "Hey, shh. I'm here. You have some visitors."

Gabriella looked at everyone and smiled. "What are you guys doing here?"

Chad chuckled. "Please, Gabs. You think you're going to go through this with only Troy? I don't think so."

"It's great to see you too, Chad. Hey, Mom." Gabriella said.

"Hello, Mija, how are you feeling?"

"I've been better." She told them. "Hey, Mom, Dad." Gabriella said to Jack and Lucille.

"Hello, dear." Lucille said.

"Hey, guys." She said to the rest in the room. "Where's Tay?"

"Taylor is—" Troy began.

"Right here." A voice finished for him. Taylor walked into the room and made her way to Gabriella's bed. "Hey, Sweetie. Are you all right?"

Gabriella nodded. "I'm doing fine now that everyone's here."

"What did the doctor say, Troy?" Gabriella asked him.

Troy felt all eyes turn to him as he sat down on the chair and took her hand into hers. "Brie, the doctor and I spoke about what we can do to help you. He told me that large amounts of cancerous cells are grouped together throughout your body." He paused. "There's a surgery that can remove these cells. He recommends that we take you to Cedar Sinai to have the surgery done."

"Did you agree to it?" Gabriella asked.

He paused. "Yes. They said that they can prep everything and get you out of here within two hours."

Gabriella nodded and sighed. "All right. Well, then. We're really doing this."

"Yeah, and we're going to be beside you each step of the way." Taylor said.

"Thank you, guys. I don't know what I would've done without you." Troy said.

"It's no problem, Hoops. You and Gabs are family. There was no way you were going to go through this alone." Chad said.

Everyone threw in their agreement.

* * *

In the two free hours that they had, everyone had comforted Troy and Gabriella. After they had done that, everyone just talked and enjoyed each other's company. They hadn't done this in a long time. The last time they had done this sort of thing was almost over a year ago during Christmas when everyone happened to be in Albuquerque at the exact same time.

Their happy atmosphere was interrupted when the doctor came in to prep Gabriella for the helicopter ride. Once he'd explained everything that was going to take place, some paramedics came in with a stretcher to bring her to the helicopter.

They all said their goodbyes and said that they would be in L.A. as soon as she woke up. Troy was allowed to accompany her on the trip.

He held her hand all the way to the helicopter saying that everything was going to be all right and that he wasn't going to go anywhere.

When the helicopter took off, Troy held Gabriella's hand tighter.

"Troy," She whispered.

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Troy smiled at her. "I love you too, Gabriella. I love you too." He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.

* * *

The next few days were a blur for Troy. He waited out in the waiting room for the whole day while she was getting her surgery done. The next day, everyone arrived to visit Troy and see how Gabriella was recovering.

Gabriella's surgery had been very successful and as soon as she had fully recovered, she would start chemotherapy.

She would be able to go home in a few days time, but for now, she and Troy had made the hospital their home. Troy had brought some pictures and some of her favorite books from the apartment. Everyone else took the job of decorating the hospital room with "Get Well" balloons and bouquets of lilies and roses. Sharpay had taken the job of making the room more…fabulous. She had hung streamers everywhere so that it looked like a circus whenever you went into the room.

Everyone had taken shifts when Troy had to take a break. These breaks were no more than one hour, and Troy would be right back at her bedside telling her how proud he was of her and that he loved her.

Eventually, Gabriella was able to get out of bed and was able to go for walks. However, she still had to sit in a wheelchair so that she wouldn't over do it. One night, soon after her surgery, when one of the Wildcats was supposed to take a shift for Troy, all of the Wildcats and Troy and Gabriella's parents were there.

"Why are you all here? I thought that Taylor was supposed to come tonight. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you're all here, but I just wanted to know."

"Troy asked us all to come tonight." Chad said with a smile on his face that made Gabriella question his intentions.

"What's he up to?" She asked.

"Why whatever do you mean, Gabi?" Sharpay asked.

"Okay. Now I know something's up. I know my husband. He's about to do something, and I want to know what it is." She demanded.

"All in good time, Gabriella." Zeke said.

Chad's cell phone rang. "Yeah? Ready? All right. We'll be right there. All right, Gabs. Ready?"

The boys helped Gabriella into her wheelchair, and they opened the door. Gabriella gasped. Rose petals were scattered all over the hallway floor.

Gabriella let Chad push her as they all followed the rose petals. She saw that they led to one of the family rooms. When they opened the door, she was surprised to see Troy dressed up and standing on a stage with a microphone in hand.

All she managed to get out was a "What?"

"I owe you an anniversary present. I know that I haven't been the best husband for the past few months. I've been stupid and selfish and egotistical and acting like how Shar used to act."

"Hey, you never said anything about insulting me!" Sharpay said.

Troy turned to Sharpay. "Right. Sorry. Anyways…" He looked at Gabriella, blue eyes filled with love for the woman in front of him. "You always said that you love it when I sing to you. Well, I've decided to put on a little private concert just for you and our friends of course. This first song I'm sure you remember. How could you forget the night we first met? It was the start of something new."

Music for "The Start of Something New" flowed through the speakers, and Troy started to sing.

_Livin' in my own world; didn't understand_

_That anything can happen, when you take a chance_

_I never believed in what I couldn't see_

_I never opened my heart to all the possibilities_

_I know that something has changed_

_Never felt this way_

_And right here tonight_

_This could be the start of something new_

_It feels so right to be here with you oh_

_And now looking in your eyes I feel in my heart_

_The start of something new_

_Oh, yeah, now who'd of ever thought that_

_We'd both be here tonight_

_And the world looks so much brighter with you by my side_

_Oh, I know that something has changed_

_Never felt this way_

_I know it for real_

_This could be the start of something new_

_It feels so right to be here with you oh_

_And now looking in your eyes I feel in my heart_

_The start of something new_

_I never knew that it could happen till it happened to me, oh yeah_

_I didn't know it before but now it's easy to see, oh_

_It's the start of something new_

_It feels so right to be here with you oh_

_And now looking in your eyes I feel in my heart_

_That it's the start of something new_

_It feels so right to be here with you oh_

_And now looking in your eyes I feel in my heart_

_The start of something new_

Everyone clapped when he finished his song. He spoke into the microphone once more and kept his eyes on Gabriella. Her eyes were glazed with tears.

"Well, music has been a big part of our lives ever since we met. I don't have time to sing every one of the songs that could be applied to our lives. Mostly because the nurses only gave me thirty minutes to do this for you." He added. "Anyways, this next song, Kelsi wrote for us. We sang it at the Midsummer's Night Talent Show and ever since then, we've celebrated everyday."

_Once in a lifetime means there's no second chance_

_So I believe that you and me should grab it while we can_

_Make it last forever and never give it back_

_It's our turn, and I'm lovin' where we're at_

_Everyday of our lives wanna find you there _

_Wanna hold on tight_

_Gonna run while we're young_

_And keep the faith_

_Everyday from right now_

_Gonna use our voices and scream out loud_

_Take my hand together we will celebrate_

_Oh, everyday_

_They say that you should follow_

_And chase down what you dream_

_But if you get lost and lose yourself_

_What does it really mean?_

_No matter where we're going_

_It starts from where we are_

_There's more to life when we listen_

_To our hearts_

_And because of you I've got the strength to start_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah everyday of our lives wanna find you there _

_Wanna hold on tight_

_Gonna run while we're young_

_And keep the faith_

_Everyday from right now_

_Gonna use our voices and scream out loud_

_Take my hand together we will celebrate_

_Oh, everyday_

_We're taking it back; we're doing it here together_

_It's better like that and stronger now than ever_

_We're not gonna lose cuz' we get to choose_

_That's how it's gonna be_

_Everyday of our lives wanna find you there _

_Wanna hold on tight_

_Gonna run while we're young_

_And keep the faith_

_Everyday from right now_

_Gonna use our voices and scream out loud_

_Take my hand together we will celebrate_

_Oh, everyday, everyday_

The music stopped, and everyone clapped once more. Troy kept his gaze on Gabriella and noticed that she had wiped some tears away.

"This next song, we made up on the spot. Kels, you would've been proud of us. When we sang this, we were so unsure of what the future would hold for us. All that mattered was living in the moment."

_Hm, yeah yeah_

_Can you imagine what would happen_

_If we could have any dream_

_I'd wish this moment was ours to own it_

_And that it would never leave_

_Then I would thank that star that made our wish come true_

_Oh yeah, cuz' he knows that where you are_

_Is where I should be too_

_Right here, right now_

_I'm lookin' at you and my heart loves the view_

_Cuz' you mean everything_

_Right here, I promise you somehow_

_That tomorrow can wait for some other day to be_

_But right now there's you and me_

_If this were forever what could be better_

_We've already proved it works_

_But in two thousand one hundred twenty-three hours_

_A bend in the universe_

_Is gonna make everything in our whole world change_

_And you know that where we are_

_We'll never be the same_

_Right here, right now_

_I'm lookin' at you and my heart loves the view_

_Cuz' you mean everything_

_Right here, I promise you somehow_

_Tomorrow can wait for some other day to be_

_But right now there's you and me_

_Oh we know it's comin' and it's comin' fast_

_Always you and me so let's make every second last_

_Make it last_

_Right here, right now_

_Yeah I'm lookin' at you and my heart loves the view_

_Cuz' you mean everything_

_Right here, I promise you somehow_

_That tomorrow can wait for some other day to be_

_But right now there's you and me_

_You and me_

_But right now there's you and me_

He finished the heart felt song and moved on. Gabriella's tears were slowly starting to stream down her face.

"This last song, is really special. We also made this up on the spot when first when you taught me how to waltz on the rooftop and second when I went to Stanford to get you, but of course it has no value unless we dance so…"

The music started and Troy started to sing his verse of the song. He set the microphone down and walked off the stage to a very confused Gabriella.

_Take my hand, I'll take the lead_

_And every turn will be safe with me_

_Don't be afraid, afraid to fall_

_You know I'll catch you through it all_

_And you can't keep us apart_

_Cuz' my heart is wherever you are_

While he was singing, Troy had swept Gabriella off of her feet and held her bridal style while he swayed and sang. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.

_It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you_

_It's one in a million the chances of feeling the way we do_

_And with every step together, we just keep on getting better_

_So can I have this dance?_

_Can I have this dance?_

_Can I have this dance?__  
_

_Can I have this dance?_

Troy stopped dancing and held her. The others had filed out of the room so that they could have just one minute of privacy.

"Gabriella?" He asked. She was shaking, and he could feel her tears on his shirt. "Sweetheart, are you all right?" He asked with concern.

Gabriella nodded and pulled back so that she could look into his eyes. "I'm more than all right. I loved it. Thank you. This was the best anniversary present you've ever given me. I love you."

"I love you too." He said before he gently kissed her.

* * *

_Five years later_

Gabriella had gone through all of the chemo and the radiation needed to get rid of the cancer. After one year of fighting, the doctors had declared her to be in remission.

Through it all, Troy had never left her side. He had given up a lot of opportunities to go into the NBA, but what did it matter? Gabriella was more important to him than anything in the world.

In the midst of the treatment, Gabriella had done the impossible and graduated at the head of her class, and Troy frequently praised her for her accomplishments.

Once Gabriella had gone into remission, everything seemed to be getting back to normal. They had moved back to Albuquerque. Gabriella had been able to get a job at a law firm, and Troy had been able to get a job as an assistant coach for the Wildcats.

Two years after Gabriella had been in remission, they had had their first born baby girl. They had named her Kylie Bolton, and she was the apple of their eyes. She was the spitting image of her mother. She had dark brown curls and big brown eyes.

They were Troy's world. Everything revolved around Kylie and Gabriella for him. He didn't mind one bit. He loved his girls, and he wouldn't have traded them for anything.

Gabriella had to go in for regular check ups. There were a few incidents when it seemed like she wouldn't make it, but she always did.

Now, Gabriella was going in for her final check up. She had taken tests the week before. While Kylie was being watched by Maria, Gabriella and Troy drove to the hospital to get her final results.

They walked into hospital and went to the oncology wing. They waited anxiously in the waiting room for her name to be called. Troy was trying to encourage her.

"Gabriella, whatever happens we're going to stay together. You, Kylie, and I are going to be a family whatever these test results may be. I love you."

"I know that. No matter what we'll still be together. I love you, too, Wildcat."

"Gabriella Bolton." The nurse called.

Troy held Gabriella's hand and led the way to the doctor's office. They both sat down. It seemed like an eternity before the doctor spoke.

"It's good to see you, Mr. and Mrs. Bolton." The doctor said. The doctor had kept it as casual as possible. He didn't want to give anything away too quickly.

"We have your tests results right here, Mrs. Bolton. I'm happy to tell you that you won't be having regular check ups here any longer. You're all clear."

Troy sat there speechless trying to decide if what the doctor said was true.

"Mr. Bolton?" The doctor asked. "Are you all right?"

"He's just in shock. Thank you for everything, doctor." Gabriella said shaking his hand.

Gabriella took Troy and led him out of the doctor's office. They both walked silently to the car. When they got into the car, Gabriella asked, "Troy, are you all right?"

Troy didn't respond but instead kissed her so thoroughly Gabriella thought that she would've fallen if she had not been already sitting.

"I'll take that as a yes." Gabriella said.

They drove in silence enjoying each other's company and basking in the feeling that cancer would never again haunt Gabriella ever again.

They soon arrived at their home. Troy held Gabriella's hand and led her to the front door. When he opened it, a familiar batch of Wildcats screamed. "Surprise!"

Before Gabriella could say anything to express her shock, Troy yelled out, "All clear!"

Everyone started to cheer and congratulate Troy and Gabriella. They had surrounded Gabriella and hugs went all around.

Troy felt a hand pulling on his pants and looked down to meet the eyes of his two-year-old daughter. Though she was young, she showed signs of great knowledge.

"Daddy, is Mommy better now?" The little girl asked him.

Troy picked her up and hugged her. He hugged Gabriella with his other arm and said, "Yup. Mommy's all better now. I love you both."

The whole room filled with "Aww's" as Troy kissed Kylie on the forehead and Gabriella on the lips.

Finally, their happily ever after could begin.

* * *

A/N: All right. This isn't the new story that I'm going to start, but this story has been in my head for a little while now, so I figured what the heck. Might as well put it out there. I can't say that I absolutely loved the ending, but I did enjoy writing it. Hopefully, you've all enjoyed reading it. Thanks and please review.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own HSM_

A/N: Well, I decided that I wanted to fill in some blanks for this story, and this is what came out of it. I hope that it will live up to the previous chapter. Please Review! Thanks!

* * *

_Other Tests_

_Three years after remission_

Troy unlocked the door and set his bag down on the floor. "Gabriella?" He called tiredly.

Today hadn't been a good day, and he was extremely tired. With the basketball championship and the winter musicale coming up at East High, his schedule was extremely busy.

Since they had moved back to Albuquerque two years ago, Troy had returned to East High to accept an assistant basketball coach position that needed to be filled in. They'd been working extremely hard for the past two years. Before Troy arrived, all of the outstanding senior players had graduated and the Wildcats had to get an entirely new team. It had taken them a long while to get to where Jack wanted them to be. Their hard work had paid off this season because the Wildcats were on their way to getting one more championship for East High.

Not only had he accepted a coaching job, but he'd also taken over for Ms. Darbus for the Drama Department this year. Ever since Sharpay had recruited Ms. Darbus to participate in the Broadway production of "Wicked", she'd taken a sabbatical and decided to pass on the "Drama Teacher Torch" to Troy until she returned. This year they were doing the extremely large production of "Into the Woods". And it was taking its toll on him.

Gabriella has been doing fairly well after the doctor's had declared her to be in remission. She'd gotten a job at a local law firm, and she'd also gotten a job of teaching at East High.

Troy plopped down on the couch, closed his eyes, and laid his head back as he tried to relax if only for a moment. He felt small hands begin to massage his temple. Wasn't that sweet of his wife to do that for him?

"Hey, Babe, how was your day?" Troy heard his wife ask.

"Extremely hectic. Rocketman decided to drop by from U of A and give the team a few pointers." He told her.

"Jimmie? I would think that Deon would be the one to give pointers. Deon is the one who's starting on the Redhawks this year right?"

Troy smiled. He loved watching his local team kick some butt on the court. He watched every game he could when he had the time. His love for basketball had been rubbing off of Gabriella for the past ten years. She was bound to pick up a few things while she watched the game with him.

"Yeah. Deon's the one starting, but I think Jimmie just wanted to feel important. I mean, he did score the final shot of that championship game our senior year." He replied still closing his eyes as she continued to massage his head.

"My dear, you are too modest. If I remember correctly, if you had not passed the ball to Jimmie in those last seconds of the game, _you_ could have easily been the one to score the winning shot." She replied leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead.

Troy lifted his hands to place his hands over hers. He stopped her hands from continuing their massage and opened his eyes. He met her brown orbs and smiled. He lifted his head and motioned for her to come around to sit on the couch next to him.

"Thank you for that wonderful massage, Baby. It was just what I needed after today." He said as she sat down beside him.

She reached up with her hand to stroke his cheek for a brief moment. "I'm glad I could help. I didn't have quite as hectic a day as you did. But I don't think that Jimmie's visit could make your day that hectic." She commented.

He sighed tiredly and rubbed his eyes. "We had rehearsals for the musical today."

"I remember. That's why we couldn't ride home together."

"Yeah. Anyways, it just didn't go well. David kept forgetting his cues; Cassie kept forgetting her lines; Jacob kept putting on the wrong costume; it wasn't a good rehearsal. I'll keep it at that."

"Don't be too hard on them, Troy. Some of your stars are in my A.P. English class, and they've got their literary analysis portfolio due in a few weeks, and they're trying to finish reading _Scarlet Letter_. They've got a lot on their plate." She said soothingly as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"So you're the reason they're not doing well." He accused jokingly. "If the musical is a dud, I'll just blame it on you."

She hit him playfully. "Don't you dare, Troy Bolton. My students like me; I'd prefer it to stay that way."

He kissed her chastely on the lips. "I'd never do anything to ruin your reputation, Gabriella Bolton. They like you better than they like me anyways. Your class is at the end of the day. Every time they come into rehearsal, they're always saying things like, 'Mrs. B is so awesome' or 'Mrs. Bolton is the best teacher ever' or 'Mrs. Bolton is way better than Mr. Bolton'.

She smirked at him. "Liar." She accused.

"Okay, okay fine. They don't say that last one, but the other ones are all true. I'll get them to say it on video if you don't believe me."

"Calm down, Troy. I believe you. But you don't give yourself enough credit. They come up to me and tell me all about you. They think that you're the best."

"I don't know. You're kids love you to death." He paused and smiled goofily. "But I don't think I'd mind watching you for fifty minutes each day. I _definitely_ wouldn't fall asleep in that class."

She blushed. He chuckled knowing that he could still have the same effect on her that he'd had ten years ago.

"Speaking of which, would you mind coming into rehearsals tomorrow and giving the kids a lecture about what it was like to be you in junior and senior year? How you juggled doing all of you're A.P. classes and yet you were able to pull off memorizing you lines and cues and doing an outstanding job on the show. I think it would really motivate them." He added.

She thought for a moment. "If I don't have to go into the office after school, then I'd be happy to go back to that magical East High Auditorium."

"Magical?" He asked skeptically.

She nodded. "Yup. Like Ms. Darbus said," She paused to get into character. "'The theater is a temple of art, a precious cornucopia of creative energy.' You know, all of that other stuff that she told us while we were in rehearsals."

"Okay, first of all, never do that again. I thought you were being possessed by Darbus for a moment there. Second of all, why is it magical?" He asked once more.

"Come on, Troy. You went to college for drama. Think about it. There's nothing in the world like being onstage."

"Yeah, you're right. There is nothing like it." He admitted.

"Besides that, Troy, the East High Auditorium holds so many memories for us. You and me. I mean, it's where we got closer in those weeks of rehearsals." She reminded him.

"Oh, yeah, huh?"

"Yes." She confirmed.

"So…um…how was your day?" Troy asked her.

"It was fine, Wildcat."

"Nothing out of the ordinary right?" Troy confirmed.

"I'm fine. I promise, Troy. Don't worry."

Rarely did they ever discuss or mention anything that related to what happened to them four years ago. They had decided as soon as she'd had her last radiation session that they would go on with their lives no matter what the circumstances were. And right now, they were looking pretty all right. But Troy still worried.

They fell into silence, and Troy continued to look at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Hm. Have I told you I love you?" He asked sweetly.

She smiled. "Not since you walked through the door."

"I love you." He told her.

"I love you too."

* * *

Troy took a peek at his cell phone as the students started to file in for rehearsals. Gabriella had called the office earlier that morning to ask if she had to go in for work. They'd said no, and she told Troy that she would be able to go to rehearsals.

Gabriella had actually had morning sickness that morning, and Troy had insisted that she stay home, but she said that she had a lot to do today and that it was probably nothing too serious.

The last of the students piled into the auditorium, and Troy stood in front of them. The bell rang, and Gabriella had still not come in yet, but he needed to start anyway.

"All right, guys. Now yesterday wasn't the best rehearsal we've ever had. And no pointing or looking around." He said quickly. "We were all a little off yesterday. Even I was." He admitted. A hand was raised into the air.

"But, Mr. Bolton, it's not our fault." Cassie told him. "Mrs. B. has some of us reading _Scarlet Letter_ on top of our portfolio book."

"I don't want excuses, Cassie." He told her firmly. "You guys aren't in trouble, and I'm not going to give you a hard time about it. But let's not forget that this musical is an extracurricular activity. When you signed up for it, you dedicated yourself to the show _and_ to your regular schedule. I talked to Mrs. Bolton yesterday about it."

"Mrs. B. is awesome!" He heard a voice yell. Others nodded their heads in agreement.

"I seriously need to get them on video saying that." He muttered. He saw Gabriella enter in the back. "Hey, guys listen. I know how hard it is to balance your life. Some of you have the most hectic lives I've ever heard of, but it's not impossible to stay on track. I know someone personally who performed in a winter musical her junior year and spring musical her senior year who managed to stay on top of her _all_ of her classes, including A.P., and she got into college early, and she was the valedictorian of our class."

"Mr. B you really know someone who did all of that?" A girl asked him skeptically.

"Yes, in fact, I've asked her to come and talk to you all about it, and she's right there in the back." He pointed the back, and all of the heads turned.

"Hey, Mrs. B!"

Gabriella smiled as she walked down the aisle to the front of the auditorium. "Hey, David. Hey everyone." She greeted.

They all greeted her back.

"So Mrs. B did you come to see the girl who Mr. B was talking about?" Jacob asked curiously.

"Shut up, Jacob! She _is _the person Mr. B was talking about."

"You never told us that you performed here, Mrs. Bolton." Cassie said.

"Really?" Gabriella asked quite shocked that she never told her students the stories of her experiences at East High. "I guess I was so focused on teaching that I never really told you any stories. I did tell you that I went to East High right?"

"All you told us was that you went to East High, Troy Bolton A.K.A. Mr. B was your boyfriend. And that's pretty much it." David told her.

"Really? That's all she told you?" Troy asked them. They nodded their heads.

"In her defense, Mr. B that's all you've told us so far as well." Cassie told them.

Troy and Gabriella looked at each other. Both as surprised as the other that neither one had shared their story with their students especially this far into the years of teaching.

"How did you guys meet?" Asked one of the girls.

"You want to hear _our_ story?" Troy asked them. They all nodded their heads in agreement once more. "I don't think that we have the time to do it."

"Really, guys, it would take a huge amount of time with all of the details of it." Gabriella told them.

"Aww…so was your story like a fairy tale?" One of the girls asked.

"Actually, yeah. It really was now that I think about it." Gabriella said. "But when would be the right time to tell it is the question."

"Well, right here right now would be nice. I don't think some of us mind staying for an extra twenty minutes." David told them.

Agreements from the group resounded through the auditorium.

Troy stopped them. "Whoa whoa whoa. We'll do it on one condition. You guys have to promise that you are going to work really hard today. Because seriously guys we don't have the time to goof around anymore. The musical is in a few weeks. We have to buckle down. That means that you're going to have to memorize your lines, your cues, and every other thing that accompanies a production this large. I want everyone to work hard today. All right?"

Everyone agreed once more.

"All right, then. Would you like to tell the story Mrs. Bolton? Or shall I?" Troy asked.

"How about we split it down the middle?" Gabriella offered. "You can go first."

"Sounds like a great idea." He turned back to the students. "Well, Mrs. Bolton and I didn't know each other at all until second semester of junior year. We met at a Ski lodge in Colorado when we were forced to go onstage at a New Years Eve party and sing karaoke. I know it sounds farfetched but just listen and enjoy.

"I thought that I was never going to see her again until I came back from Christmas break and saw her in Ms. Darbus's homeroom. That first day, I got her in detention for having my cell phone out. You all know Darbus.

"Well, things happened and eventually, Mrs. Bolton and I got callbacks for the winter musical. We did the exact same thing that you all did for your callbacks, and we got cast as the leads. That was our first experience in musical theater. The first production that had two leads from totally different worlds.

"Junior year came and went. That summer wasn't really anything worth mentioning, I think." Troy looked over at Gabriella who had a smirk on her face. "And um…you can take it from here." He motioned to Gabriella.

"Well, senior year was really busy. Some of you know what that's like right now. But…after the basketball championships, things got a little complicated. I got accepted into Stanford and Mr. Bolton was going to U of A. At the end of senior year, we were going to be one thousand and fifty three miles apart from each other.

"Not only that, but I got accepted into Stanford's Freshmen Honor's Program so we were going to be separated earlier than either of us expected. I went to Stanford and didn't plan on coming back for anything until Mr. B decided to drive one thousand miles to see me on prom night." She let some of the girls "Awwww" before she continued.

"He convinced me to come back, and we were able to perform in another production together one last time. At the end of the performance, Mr. B decided to surprise me and announce to everyone that instead of going to U of A one thousand miles away from me, he was going to UC Berkeley thirty-two point seven miles away instead. And that's pretty much our story."

"They should make a movie about you guys." One of the students commented. "Your story could be a Disney movie."

"So you're the ones that turned Ms. D's world of drama around?"

"What are you talking about, Jacob?" Troy asked him.

"She'd always tell us about these two students who starred in a musical who broke the status quo and tried out for the musical. That was you?"

"Um…I guess." Troy said.

"Can you guys perform for us really, really quick?" Cassie asked them. "It would be a great way to motivate us."

Troy looked at Gabriella. "Well, I don't mind performing is you don't." Troy told her.

"I don't mind." Gabriella assured him before she turned back to the students. "Wait, before we get up there, I want you all to know that you can keep your grades up while you're doing a show. You just have to schedule your time wisely. It's really not that hard to do. And that's pretty much it. Oh, after we're done, I'm going to stay to make sure that you all do your best in rehearsals." She told them as she and Troy made their way up to the stage.

"So which song do you want to sing?" Troy asked her.

"Let's just do something short. Let's do um…'What I've Been Looking For'."

"Okay." Troy agreed. They turned to the audience and began their song.

_It's hard to believe that I couldn't see,_

_You were always right beside me._

_Thought I was alone, with no one to hold _

_But you were always right beside me._

_This feelings like no other; I want you to know, _

_That I've never had someone that knows me like you do, _

_The way you do. _

_And I've never had someone as good for me as you. _

_No one like you. _

_So lonely before I finally found _

_What I've been looking for. Ooo._

Their voices still blended together in perfect harmony. It was almost as if they were teenagers again. They finished and the students all applauded.

Gabriella spoke over the clapping. "All right, everyone, you've had your fun. Now let's get up here and work on this musical." Gabriella encouraged.

Troy felt his phone vibrating and excused himself for a moment. He went towards the back of the stage and answered.

"Hello?"

"Is this Troy Bolton?" He heard a voice ask.

"This is he."

"I am Mikhail Dunam with the LA Lakers. We here in LA were hoping that you would consider coming to LA to speak with the manager."

Troy sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was his fifth call to go into the NBA, but he didn't want to leave Gabriella on her own for months at a time while he was traveling. Of course, it would bring them money, but Gabriella was also in remission, and only last year she had almost not made it.

He was in Santa Fe on an away game when the hospital called to inform him that Gabriella's condition was critical. That had been the scariest few hours of his life as he drove quickly to the hospital.

Ever since that incident, he had been extremely sensitive to being more than one hour away from her. He didn't want to ever feel like he had that day he thought he was going to lose her. He couldn't lose her. He wasn't going to go into the NBA while Gabriella's future was still so uncertain. He'd never be able to live with himself if something ever happened to her, and he wasn't there.

"I'm sorry, but my wife is in remission from cancer, and I can't afford to leave her right now. I can't go. I'm sorry." He told him before he hung up quickly. He knew that it was rude, but he didn't care.

He turned around to look at his wife. She'd stopped telling the kids things to do. In fact, the stage was deserted. Confused, Troy walked towards the seats. The class was surrounding Gabriella, and she wasn't looking so well.

"Brie?" Troy asked worriedly as he made his way down.

"She said that she was starting to feel dizzy." David told him.

"I'm fine." She tried to tell him, but he was having none of it.

"No, we're going home. Sorry, guys, we'll just have to reschedule rehearsals. Just memorize your lines until then. Come on, Brie." Troy helped her up and supported her as they walked out of the auditorium to go home.

* * *

"Troy, I don't know why you did that. I'm fine." Gabriella tried to assure him as they reached the house.

"Sweetheart, I'm not taking any chances. I refuse to gamble with your life. Go on inside. I'll get your stuff for you."

Without arguing, Gabriella got out of the car and went inside of the house. She hung her jacket and took off her shoes. She went to the message machine and pressed the button.

There were a few messages from family and friends, but one message stood out. She listened more closely.

"This message is for Troy Bolton. I am Mikhail Dunam with the LA Lakers. We here in LA were hoping that you would consider coming to LA to speak with the manager. We have a spot on the team for you, and we'd like to talk about the details. Please contact me as soon as you get this message."

Gabriella sat down on the floor as she felt herself getting dizzy very quickly. Troy walked in and saw her on the floor.

"That's it, Babe." He told her. "We're going to the hospital to get you checked out." He insisted. She didn't argue with him.

* * *

They entered the hospital and went to the oncology ward to get her checked out just in case. The doctors said that she had a slight fever. They'd give her some meds and keep her for one night just in case. But it wasn't anything too serious.

Gabriella lay on her bed while Troy sat in the chair next to the bed.

"I told you that it wasn't anything serious." She told him.

"I know, but after that Santa Fe incident, I'm just scared that it'll happen again, I guess. If something happened to you, and I wasn't there, I'd never forgive myself." He told her.

Gabriella thought back to the message that she'd heard earlier that evening. "Troy…" she began. "Did you know that someone called for you at home? It was one of the messages."

"Really. What did they say?"

She paused. "It was a person from the LA Lakers offering you a position on the team…"

Troy sighed. "Brie, I'm not taking it." He told her.

"What?! Why not?!" She exclaimed. "This is huge, Troy! It's what you've been working for your whole life."

"Gabriella, there will be other offers."

"Troy, you don't know that."

"Brie, I've had five offers already, but I turned them all down." He told her.

"What?! Why?!" She exclaimed again.

"Brie, listen. We don't talk about what happened four years ago even if we're in the hospital for check ups. But it doesn't change what happened. And I need to tell you how it's changed my perspective on life because you deserve an explanation."

"Troy—"

He cut her off. "Let me get this out please. Baby, what happened that night I found out was the worst night of my life. I remember every detail. Every stupid word I said to you during our argument. That night is engraved into my memory. That argument opened my eyes.

"As soon as I left the apartment, it didn't feel right. And then when I was at the dinner and I realized that it was our anniversary, I felt like I'd let you down. When I came home and didn't find you there, it just about killed me inside. I thought that I'd lost you forever.

"And then I went to the airport to get you and…everything was right again. When you collapsed, I was so scared. The ride to the hospital was one of the longest rides of my life.

He paused, took her hands into his, and looked into her eyes. "And then…I found out that you had cancer and…" He paused to reign in control of his emotions and took a deep breath. "And I felt like my world was ending. I couldn't believe that you weren't well at all."

"After the surgery during every chemo and radiation, I knew that there was no place that I could—should be but with you. Sweetheart, you're in remission, but you're not in the clear yet. I don't want anything to happen while I'm gone. I don't want a repeat of Santa Fe; and that was only in the state. If I go into the NBA, I'd be across the country at times. I don't want to get a call while I'm in New York telling me that your condition is critical. I'd never make you go through this alone." He insisted.

She was a little teary eyed by his confession. "But, Troy, if your dream is to go into the NBA, I don't want to be the one holding you back." She told him as she ran her hand through his hair.

"Gabriella, Baby, don't you understand? My dream isn't to go into the NBA."

She looked at him a little confused. "If it isn't the NBA, then what is it?"

"My dream changed the night I found out you had cancer. The NBA isn't my dream." He paused and got up from the chair to sit on the bed. He held her face gently between his hands. "My dream since that night has been all about you. My dream is that we'll have a family; my dream is that we'll watch our kids grow up; my dream is that we'll grow old together. Nothing matters more to me than us." He told her.

She looked at him the same way she looked at him that day he announced that he was going to UC Berkeley. Her look was a combination of tears, disbelief, amazement, but most of all love. She smiled and kissed him.

"That dream of yours may be closer than you think." She told him as she leaned back.

He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Wildcat, I didn't make a big deal about the morning sickness because I knew that it didn't have anything to do with my being in remission. Though I guess I should be thankful for it because I did need those meds for the fever." She commented.

"Brie, will you please just tell me what you're talking about?" He asked her.

She smiled widely at him. "Troy, I took some other tests this past week. The morning sickness isn't because of cancer…It's because I'm pregnant."

"Are you serious?" He asked her smiling. He watched her nod. "Gabi, Baby, those are the best test results I've ever heard of." He kissed her chastely on the lips. "I love you." He said as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I love you too, Troy." She whispered.

Unlike the other tests she had taken, this one was proving to be the most promising.


End file.
